Pennsburg man's drunken bike ride ends with trip to state prison

NORRISTOWN — Biking while drunk, a Pennsburg man has pedaled his way to a stint in prison.

Ronald Kramer, 56, of the first block of 4th Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to one-to-five years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to charges of driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with two incidents between March and April 2012, including one on his mountain bike and another in a car on his birthday.

Judge Joseph A. Smyth, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, said Kramer also faces an 18-month license suspension as a result of his latest convictions. The judge also ordered Kramer to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation during his incarceration.

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An investigation of Kramer began about 12:50 a.m. March 17, 2012, when Upper Perk police patrolling the 900 block of Main Street in Pennsburg observed Kramer on a mountain bike traveling northbound in the southbound lane of travel, according to the arrest affidavit.

“The subject was wearing dark clothing and it was extremely difficult to see him or his bicycle,” Upper Perk Police Officer James McVeigh alleged in the criminal complaint, adding the bicycle had no lights attached to it, a violation of state law. “I slowed down and began monitoring the subject from a distance and noticed that he was going from side to side within his lane of travel.”

Police stopped Kramer and noticed a radio attached to the bicycle’s handlebars was being played “extremely loud.” Police noticed that Kramer’s speech was slurred and his eyes were red and glassy, according to court papers.

“The subject advised he was riding his bicycle home from the bar in Red Hill,” McVeigh alleged, adding Kramer claimed to be riding the bike in the opposing lane of travel so he could see oncoming vehicles. “The subject advised that he consumed four beers at the bar prior to operating his bicycle.”

Kramer submitted to a portable breath test which detected the presence of alcohol. A subsequent blood test determined Kramer had a blood-alcohol content of 0.155 percent, which is nearly double the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Less than a month later, at 9:40 p.m. April 7, police, knowing Kramer’s license was under suspension for DUI, observed Kramer operating a female friend’s Ford Escort on Seminary Street in Pennsburg and on State Street in East Greenville, according to court papers. Upon stopping Kramer, police detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle.

Kramer told police he had consumed three cans of beer and that it was his birthday and he was driving around drinking cans of beer which he purchased from a bar in Upper Hanover, according to the arrest affidavit. An open container of beer was found in the back seat of the vehicle, police said.

Kramer failed field sobriety tests and a blood test determined his blood-alcohol content was 0.11 percent, again over the legal limit for driving, court papers alleged.

About the Author

Carl Hessler Jr. writes about crime and justice at the Montgomery County Courthouse for The Mercury and 21st Century Media Newspaper’s Greater Philadelphia area publications. A native of Reading, he studied at Penn State University and Kutztown University before graduating from Alvernia University with a degree in communications. He is a recipient of a National Headliner Award and has been honored for his writing by the Keystone Press Association, Philadelphia Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Press Managing Editors of Pennsylvania. Reach the author at chessler@pottsmerc.com
or follow Carl on Twitter: @MontcoCourtNews.